Austin Is a Best-Performing City

The Best Performing Cities index compiled by The Milken Institute ranked Austin the 4th best-performing city in the US in 2011 (2nd in 2010 and 1st in 2009). The index ranked cities by employment, salary growth, technology output growth, and their ability to create and sustain jobs. Of the top five best-performing cities, four are Texas metros with San Antonio ranking number one.

Austin ranked well because of several factors:

Austin had the third-fastest job growth in the nation from 2005 - 2010 with the help of two state institutions – The University of Texas at Austin and The State Capitol.

Austin is a growing tech hub – offices to expand include Samsung, eBay and Facebook.

Austin has diversified technology bases including Dell with more than 14,000 employees, IBM, Freescale Semiconductor, AT&T Computer, National Instruments, and AMD.

Retail and housing markets are recovering, thanks to job and wage gains at these tech employers.

The 2011 top 10 performers (with 2010 rankings) of the 200 largest metros:

San Antonio, TX (14)

El Paso, TX (9)

Fort Collins- Loveland, CO (50)

Austin-Round Rock, TX (2)

Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, TX (1)

Salt Lake City, UT (49)

Anchorage, AK (8)

Huntsville, AL (3)

Provo-Orem, UT (25)

Kennewick-Richland-Pasco WA (5)

Download the Milken Institute's index and read more about best performing cities in the US here.